Grip for cable railways



(No Model.) v -2 snep-shet 1.

. G.B.BRYANTLY GRIPFOR CABLE RAILWAYS. l

No. 317,086. 4 Patented May 5, 1885. f

(N0 MGdeI.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. B. BRYANT. GRIP FOB, CABLE RAILWAYS. N0. 317,086. Patented May 5,1885.

wi l llll In I 'VV ineasea 7140's flaorne ys l NITED STATES ATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE B. BRYANT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRIP FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,086, dated May 5,1885.

Application filed April 6, 1885. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. BRYANT, ofPhiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grippers for CableRailways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures andletters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to so improve the gripping apparatus forcable railways as to enable the cable to be firmly grasped in startingthe car without subjecting the car or its passengers to sudden shocks,and also so as to prevent shock from the lateral swinging or rocking ofthe car, ordinarily so frequently experienced; and to this end myinvention consists in certain improved features of construction andcombination of parts, which will hereinafter be described, and fullypointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectionalelevation of a gripper to which my improvements are applied. Fig. 2 is asectional view of the same, taken on the lines 00 as, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a horizontal section taken on the line g y, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate like parts.

The letter A represents a metal frame secured rigidly by bolts B tobrackets or hangers 0, depending from the under side of the car, andhaving a longitudinal slot, A, in its bottom portion for theaccommodation of the blade of the gripper. Within this frame A isarranged an inner frame, D, having a slot, D, through which the gripperblade also passes. The gripper-blade (lettered E) has arranged within avertical slot formed in it a sliding gripper-bar, F. A lever, G, pivotedto the gripper-plate at g and to the bar F at 9, serves as a means forraising or lowering the bar F, so as to apply or release thegrippingjaws to or from the cable. The gripping-jaws are not shown inthe drawings, but are of ordinary construction, and are applied to theplate E and bar F in the usual manner. I have not shown them, inasmuchas I make no special claim to them herein. Also, pivoted to the blade E,at h, on the side opposite to that on which the lever G is pivoted, isan eccentric, H, which is adapted to bear upon the inner frame D, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and to serve to support the gripper-blade E inposition. This eccentric His adapted to be operated by any suitablemeans through a rod, I. WVhen it is adjusted in the position shown infull lines, Fig. 1, it causes the gripper-blade E, with its connectedparts, to be elevated into the position which it normally occupies; butwhen it is adjusted to the position shown by the dotted lines in saidfigure it lowest position. The slot through the inner frame, D, isslightly wider than the thickness of the gripper-blade,say,one-sixteenth of an inch wider on each side, so as to permit of theeasy play of the gripper-blade and prevent binding of it. On each sideof the frame D is arranged spring, K, seated at one end against saidinner frame, D, and at the opposite end against the outer frame, A.These springs may be of metal or rubber, and of any desiredconstruction; but I preferably use metallic spiral springs, such asshown. The function of these springs is to take up the shock andvibration 5 causes the gripper-blade to be depressed to its due to thevibration of the cars from side to inner frame, D, is an eccentric, L,which bears upon the inner frame under the yielding pressure of aspring, M. By the provision of this spring-seated eccentric a stationarycar is enabled to be connected positively and firmly to the runningcable without a violent shock either to the car or itspassengers,because the spring-seated eccentric will yield, and thusapply the pressure gradually to the car. Another spring-seated eccentricsimilar to the one described may be applied to the rear of the innerframe, if desired, or in lieu of it a roller, 0, having its bearings inan oblique slot, T,

in the frame A, may be employed, said roller, when pressure is appliedto it, gradually yielding and traveling up the oblique slot, as will bereadily understood. Then a yielding connection is thus formed betweenthe gripperblade and the car, both front and rear, as well as on eachside, the cars will run very steadily, and can be started or stoppedwithout shock.

The feature of being able to with safety positively and quickly graspthe running cable instead of gradually, as ordinarily, is veryimportant,since it saves wear both upon the grip ping parts and upon thecable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In agripping device for cable railways, the combination, with thegripper-blade, of elastic or yielding cushions interposed between thelateral sides of said gripper-blade and the car, whereby to take up theshock due to the vibration of the car laterally, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a gripping device for cable railways, the combination, with agripper-blade,of elastic or yielding cushions interposed between thelateral sides of said gripper-blade and the car, and yielding connectionbetween the forward and rear portions of the blade and the car,substantially as described.

3. In the herein-described gripping device for cable railways, thecombination, with the gripper-blade, of the inner and outer framesthrough which the said blade passes, and the springs or cushionsinterposed between the said two frames at the sides, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose specified.

4. In the herein-described gripping device for cable railways, thecombination, with the gripper-blade, of the inner and outer framesthrough which said blade passes, and the spring-seated eccentricjournaled in the outer frame and bearing on the inner frame,substantially as described.

5. In the herein-described gripping device for cable railways, thecombination, with the gripper-blade, of the inner and outer framesthrough which said blade passes, the springs or cushions interposedbetween the said inner and outer frames opposite the lateral sides ofthe gripper-blade,and the springseated eccentric j ournaled to the outerframe and bearing on the inner frame in front of the gripper blade,substantially as described.

6. In the herein-described gripping device for cable railways, thecombination, with the gripper-blade, of the inner and outer framesthrough which said blade passes, the spring interposed between said twoframes, and the spring-seated eccentrics or their equivalents interposedbetween the inner and outer frames in front of and in rear of thegripper-blades, substantially as described.

GEORGE B. BRYANT.

Witnesses:

MELVLLLE CHURCH, A. S. STEWART.

